You know him as the always-angry Scottish chef behind some of the most over-the-top
cooking shows of all time.
But Gordon Ramsay is far from just a trumped-up, expletive-spouting TV personality.
A multiple Michelin star-winning talent of the highest order, this master chef knows
his stuff.
Here are some of the finest cooking tips from the one and only Gordon Ramsay.
Ramsay's famous scrambled eggs
If you grew up eating scrambled eggs as dry and unyielding as a kitchen sponge, Gordon
Ramsay's impossibly creamy recipe may come as a shock.
Is this how scrambled eggs are supposed to taste?
Ramsay sure thinks so, as nailing this style of preparation is one of the first tests he
gives chefs looking to work in his restaurant empire.
"Every time we get a new cook in the kitchen, we always ask if he can make scrambled eggs.
And if they can make the perfect scrambled egg, you know that they know how to cook properly."
The secret is intermittently exposing the eggs to the heat, stirring all the while.
Ramsay also advises not to season the eggs in advance, lest they get too watery.
But it's not just about treating eggs like risotto: You also add a spoonful of tangy
crème fraiche and freshly-chopped chives at the end.
Bell pepper perfection
If you tend to rush your bell pepper prep and leave seeds and that white "pith" behind,
Gordon's guide to pepper perfection is the intervention you need.
Notice how he avoids the mess by simply leaving the seeds undisturbed inside the pepper, slicing
off those pith-free cheeks of crunchy goodness carefully.
To make the task less of a hassle, Ramsay slices off the "top and tail," creating a
flat bottom for the pepper to rest on.
Once the waste is out of the way, Ramsay advises cutting the peppers skin-side down for the
best results, whether you're dicing, julienning, or cutting thick slices for stir-frys or salads.
A great way to grate
If you've watched Kitchen Nightmares, you know that Ramsay hates being served frozen
food.
In fact, "frozen" is an "F" word that Ramsay rarely deploys, unless he's quizzing clueless
cooks about a particularly unappetizing appetizer.
"What's all this stuff floating in water?"
"That's the grouper taken out of the freezer.
We keep it fresh frozen."
"Fresh frozen?"
"Yes chef."
"There's no such thing!"
But a freezer can be useful for more than just leftovers, desserts, and ill-advised
culinary shortcuts.
To cleanly grate a block of mozzarella, Ramsay suggests sticking it in the freezer for ten
minutes to get it nice and firm.
Subjecting the cheese to the icy air of your freezer pre-grating also leads to a greater
yield, meaning more of that pricy product is ending up where it belongs.
Restaurant-perfect hash browns
How does a world-class chef handle a rustic American favorite like hash browns?
With great care and attention to detail, but zero fuss.
At the heart of Ramsay's simple hash browns are waxy potatoes, onions, and cayenne pepper,
as you'd expect, but it's his technique that elevates this standard breakfast fare.
To start, Ramsay grates both the potatoes and the onions for an extra-crispy, flavor-packed
hash brown experience in every bite.
Ramsay uses both olive oil and butter to deliver an enticing sear as well as bring a creamy
richness to center of the potato/onion mix.
His most ingenious tip here is the plate trick: To cleanly flip your crispy hash browns, simply
place a large dinner plate over the pan, then turn it over.
The result is an evenly cooked plate of pure Americana, courtesy of one of the world's
most famous Scots.
Can't be beet
A humble bowl of hummus will never be the talk of the dinner party, but Ramsay's beet-based
beauty elevates the Middle Eastern favorite into a stunning centerpiece.
The beets turn the dip the color of White Zinfandel, while the ingenious use of fresh
marjoram adds a mintiness to balance out the root vegetable's trademark earthiness.
It's convenient to fill your fridge with tubs of Sabra, but nothing store-bought compares
to the umami-filled awesomeness of freshly-cooked chickpeas and high-end tahini, balanced by
several generous squeezes of fresh lemon juice to brighten the bittersweetness of the beets.
Bonus tip: Note how Ramsay rolls his lemon firmly on the cutting board before slicing
it to extract as much juice as possible.
Back to basics
Ramsay's approach to chopping an onion isn't exactly revolutionary, but it's a crystal
clear demonstration of one of the most common kitchen tasks you'll face as a home chef.
After peeling your onion, Ramsay notes it's crucial you leave the root intact, unless
you enjoy crying into your stew.
Lopping off the root, warns Ramsay, allows the onion to "bleed" its most potent cry-inducing
juices.
Tears safely at bay, the rest of the operation involves delicately criss-crossing the onion
into a fine dice, all the way up to the root.
If you've always taken a more "rustic" approach to prepping your onions for the pan, it's
worth practicing Ramsay's more refined technique until it's second nature.
Not only do you get a higher yield and finer dice, you also avoid interrupting your workflow
with an unwelcome onion-inspired jag.
"I know I can do better."
"You can do better!"
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